


Serenaded

by illbeyourlevy



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Good Peter, Inspired by Fanfiction, Marvel Universe, Mentioned May Parker (Spider-Man), Original Character(s), Other, Precious Ned Leeds, Protective Peter Parker, Teen Peter Parker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-10
Updated: 2019-06-10
Packaged: 2020-04-24 05:04:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19166386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/illbeyourlevy/pseuds/illbeyourlevy
Summary: Even when the world had a chance of being over, Peter made Amaya smile.





	Serenaded

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [When The Colours Fade, All We Have Is Orange](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17012547) by [ironfamjam](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ironfamjam/pseuds/ironfamjam). 



> Hiii!!
> 
> This is my first ever post and fanfic~ im not gonna be one of THOSE people who go "iTs sO bAD bUT eNjoy1!" but uhhh... i hope whoever is reading this likes it :)  
> (also, sorry if some of the text is bunched up! im new and still trying to figure this out lmao. i had to edit this like, a jillion times to fix it. i hope everythings okay)
> 
> ~illbeyourlevy

Amaya Abdulkarim woke up with a start. Yelling, she darted upwards while sweat trickled down her back, her heart thudding. She had another anxiety attack. Amaya quickly unraveled herself from the dreary covers of her bed and rushed to the bathroom. As soon as she entered, she locked the door and threw up in the toilet. She wiped her mouth with a piece of toilet paper as she flushed the toilet. Her breathing got heavier. Her breathing got shakier. Amaya took off her shirt and splashed cold water all over her, completely drenching herself.  
Giving up on cold water to calm her down, Amaya does the one thing she knows can soothe her. She crept back into her room, tiptoeing, trying not to wake up the parents who couldn’t care less about her. She searched her dark room and found it. Her violin. She snatched it away from the floor and whisked herself to the solace of the balcony, farthest she could go from the place that always neglected her. The New York lights glimmered in the dark. She sat on the chair Amaya inhaled deeply and brought the violin to her neck. Her fingers moved like leaves in the wind, swooping across the strings. Her arm moved up and down, her hand clutching the bow tight, as if it was the last thing she owned on this Earth. The music serenaded her and calmness flooded her veins. Her heartbeat slowed, unlike her hands. She played and played, using her voice as an instrument too, singing. But something stopped Amaya. She heard scratching on the bricks of her house, under the balcony. 

“Oh, Peter, don’t scare me like that”

“Sorry, A. I… sensed you playing. What’s up?” 

Amaya looked down. She set her violin and bow on the concrete floor and peered down to the boy she’d always trusted. He was hanging off the slightest bit of concrete from her balcony. The fool.

“Come sit, Peter”, Amaya beckoned. Immediately, Peter knew it was going to be another long story. He pulled himself up and collapsed on the floor.

“You okay?” Amaya asked. 

“I’ve done this too many times to get hurt anymore”, Peter responded laughing. “Plus, I’m Spider-Man, dude”  
Amaya shrugged and played with a tiny pebble on the floor.  
“You know what happened. There’s no other reason for me to play my violin at one in the morning”, Amaya sighed and told the story Peter was willing to listen to every time. 

“Don’t. Call me. Princess… but yes, I’m fine now. Thanks Pete”. He gave her a fist bump and wrapped his arm around her neck. 

“Hey dickwad”, Flash said, nodding to Peter.

“Hey man”, Peter answered stupidly. 

Flash and his crew erupted with snorts and laughter while Peter stood confused. Amaya rolled her eyes and nudged him, tilting her head to the arriving bus. Peter unraveled his arms from her neck and took her hand instead. They walked on the bus together and stood up the whole time in the crowded place. 

“Ready for our physics exam, A?”

“You bet. I studied so hard two nights ago. Quiz me”, Amaya answered, proud.

“I’ll go easy. Name all five components of an atom”, Peter snootily said.

“Easy peasy! The nucleus, neutrons, electrons, the orbit thingies, and the protons”

“Correct. Well, the orbit thingies are actually-” 

She gave him a “don’t you dare correct me” look and stared out the window nearest to her.  
The bus finally stopped and they got to their stop. Peter grabbed her hand again, making her feel safe. They weren’t together. He was Amaya’s best friend. He was the only one who she trusted in this nasty world full of disgusting people. He was pure. He was innocent. He doesn’t deserve a place like this. He-

“Amaya? Hellooo…” Amaya snapped out of it and saw Peter waving his hand in front of her face. 

“I’m alive, Pete, don’t flip”, Amaya laughed, holding his hand in the air. Peter smiled and continued walking with her to the doors of the gigantic building they called school. School may be a second home to some but to Amaya, it was a second hell. People gave her nasty stares and whispered behind her back. She heard them. She heard them and each word was like a shot through the heart. Peter’s the one who kept her sane and alive. He would block her ears from the whispers and give a part of his heart every time hers was broken. 

Amaya parted ways with Peter after third period when she had P.E and he had English. P.E was the worst class of the day for Amaya. People would stare at you as you ran laps and as you did the stretches. But worst of all was when the girls had to choose teams. Amaya was always the last one and no one would pass to her anyway.  
“All right, blondies, line up. We’re playing basketball”, Mrs. Russell bellowed at the students. Everyone scrambled to line up. Amaya was left behind. She walked alone to the back of the line.  
“‘Kay, so Principal Willis made me say this but I could honestly care less. She’s been noticing that certain people are excluding other certain people. So stop”, she said staring at everyone. “Anyway that’s it. Who wants to be team captain?”  
All the cheerleaders raised their hands, plus a few softball girls. Amaya stayed behind once again. She didn’t want to play either. She was afraid. Afraid of the judging stares of all the girls in the prison called gym. If you weren’t skinny and athletic you were judged. If you didn’t wear your ponytail higher than the Empire State building you were judged. She tried to stop them from controlling her like that. But all the possible, horrible outcomes kept racing in her mind of what the damn girls could say or do. 

“Amaya”

What? 

“Amaya, your on MJ’s team”, Mrs. Russell grumbled. Oh. MJ. MJ was one of Peter’s “friends”. Amaya didn’t really know much about MJ but she liked her. MJ reminded Amaya of herself. Quiet and in the shadows. Amaya walked up to MJ and looked down, avoiding eye contact with anyone in front of her.

“Hey”, MJ started, sympathetically. “You look dead”. Amaya exhaled a quiet laugh. “Yeah. Not the best right now. I hate gym class”.

“Same here. It makes me want to bury myself alive. Kinda like Aegeus. He drowned himself”. Amaya raised her eyebrows and widened her eyes, shocked, but tried to hide it.

“It’s okay. You can laugh”, MJ said, expressionless, choosing another player. “Emma”.  
Amaya nudged MJ in her arm and she looked up, surprised. “Look alive. You look dead”. And that was the first time anyone saw MJ smile a real smile. 

“Mr. Sullivan? I’m waiting for you in the living room”, Amaya announced as she entered her teachers home, putting her key back in her pocket. She sat down on the rock hard leather sofas and unpacked her violin and bow. Amaya heard the whirring of the chair connected to the stairs that Mr. Sullivan had installed last year when he broke his back and paralyzed his legs in an accident. It took him five minutes to get to the living room. He rolled up in his wheelchair and unpacked his own antique violin. His violin was from the finest of woodworkers in Turkey. The f-holes were outlined with gold and the scroll was curled perfectly like Princess Aurora’s hair.  
“Welcome, Ms. Abdulkarim. Well, I hope it’s still a Miss”, Mr. Sullivan remarked. Amaya laughed softly and looked down to her shoes. Mr. Sullivan always said the best violinist was always the best dressed. So whenever Amaya went to his classes, she wore the shiny flats Peter got her for her birthday and the collared, black dress she wore to Grandpa’s funeral. Mr. Sullivan was Grandpa’s best friend and best-man for the wedding when he and Gramma got married.

“Shall we begin?” 

She nodded and grabbed her violin. Her eyes fluttered shut and her breath was as quiet as a mouse. And once more, her arms and hands moved ever so smoothly. The oceans were nothing compared. Mr. Sullivan loved interrupting in the middle to give advice.

“Remember, passion is what they want. Passion”.

Amaya kept playing and playing until her voice came out again, pleasing everything around her. The curtains danced in the breeze from the window as if they were dancing to Amaya’s music. Mr. Sullivan tapped his fingers to the song and picked up his own violin. Teacher and student. One of the best combinations in music when it came to Amaya’s perspective. The music was peaceful yet passionate, fun yet fierce. Then, they both came to a sudden stop. They both laughed and talked about violin and orchestra over tea for about an hour.

“Well”, Amaya began, glancing at her watch. “I better get going, sir. It’s time for dinner”.

Dinner was one of the worst parts of Amaya’s day. Her parents never cared enough to ask her how her day went, heck, they barely notice her leaving for violin classes. She arrived home on the same bus she takes to school, saying hello to the regular bus driver, Mr. Evans every time. Amaya rarely used her cell phone, but when she did, she was using it to text Peter or call him. Her phone dinged, glowing in the dim light of the sun setting, showing a text from her mother. Come home. Dinner ready. Amaya sighed and tucked her phone back into her pockets. Be positive be positive be positive. Be positive.

“Positive. What up, A?”

“Peter? How the hell did you know what I was thinking?”

“You always make that make that goofy expression on your face when your sad. You told me so. I keep important stuff like that at the back of my mind”, Peter grinned like a child, sliding his arm through the back of Amaya’s neck. Amaya flicked his ear, blushing. “There’s something that’s at the back of my mind, too”. Peter raised his eyebrow.

“So… you and MJ?” 

Peter turned beet red and looked sideways, avoiding the evil stare of Amaya. “Oooh! Peter has a crush, Peter has a cruuush!”

“Oh shut up, Princess. I think she likes me if anything”, Peter remarked, nose high, and clearly embarrassed.

“Does Ned know?”

“Maybe. I may or may not have hinted it when we were on that field trip”. Peter looked down, remembering that field trip to Washington. He’s gone through so much and no one gave him credit. No one could know anyway. Noticing Peter, Amaya stopped walking and hugged her best friend.

“Thank you so much, Peter. You’re amazing. You did everything you could to save everyone. You really are the best. I love you”. There was a long silence and moments of shaking shoulders and wet shirts. Peter didn’t want to let go. Neither did Amaya.

“I love you too, Amaya”.

Amaya loved Tuesdays. Tuesdays were the days she was away from home the most. In the early hours of the day, she was at school, rotting her brain with knowledge she knew since she was six years old, and for the rest of the day, she went to Peter’s apartment, right across the street from her house. So, as usual, she went to school and suffered the whole time. Amaya would occasionally give Peter a wicked look, mocking him for having a crush. She admits it though. She thought they were perfect for each other. Peter being the nerdy, childish one, and MJ being the weird, mysterious one. And yeah, she wanted Peter to be happy, but that didn’t stop Amaya from feeling the slightest bit of envy. After all, she had been the one to be there for Peter when he didn’t want to tell Aunt May he was Spider-Man. She was his childhood friend! Even so, that was a strong enough reason for them not to be together. She didn’t want to ruin their friendship. Amaya brushed it off and decided to be mature about it. She continued walking to the cafeteria and ignored everything that came her way.

“Hey, Amaya”, a familiar voice sounded. Amaya craned her neck to see which female being decide to talk to her since all of them hate her.

“Oh. Hey MJ. What’s up?”

“I’m living. How are you”, she said bluntly, showing no emotion.

“Okay, I guess…”

“So… do you know if Peter’s doing anything today?”

Amaya tried to hide a smirk.

“Um, yeah me and him hang out on Tuesdays. Why?”

“J-Just… asking”.

Then, she walked away leaving Amaya dying of laughter. But she didn’t show it of course. She kept it inside with all her other feelings. In other news, she continued for the cafeteria, clenching the ten dollar bill in her dark brown, leather jacket pocket. She never took off her jacket. The jacket was the only thing that she had to remind her of her aunt. Aunt Julia. “Come here, Maya-pie!” 

Amaya erupted with giggles and she ran to her aunt’s open arms for the hundredth time, crunching the dry grass and leaves under her feet. The fall breeze brushed upon their faces. Amaya, close to Julia, jumped as high as her five year old body could and Julia caught her. She lifted Amaya up, swirling her around in the air. Uncle Zane took a quick snap of them with his old polaroid camera. Suddenly, there’s piercing gunshots plummeting throughout the backyard Amaya thought she’d always have. Amaya screamed, struggling to free herself from her beloved aunt’s grasp. Julia cupped her hand over her niece’s frightful mouth, trying her best to silence her. Julia ran to hide inside the house but it was too late. The shooter barged into the backyard, kicking the gates down, shooting everyone in sight. The sound of gunshots deafening to Amaya's little ears.

Julia Abdulkarim fell to the ground holding her most prized possession. Amaya scrambled out of her frozen aunt’s arms.

“Auntie Julia! NO! No…”

Amaya screamed at the top of her tiny lungs, tears streaming down her red cheeks. Amaya’s parents were nowhere in sight. Colour faded from everything. The dead bodies. Amaya’s face. Everything. No one knew who did this or why this happened. No one bothered caring.

“Move up!” Someone shouted behind Amaya.

“S-sorry”, she stuttered, pulling her hood up with her free hand.She clutched her tray tightly as she held it out to the lunch lady.

“Mashed potatoes, please… and garlic bread”, she whispered pathetically.The lunch lady did her job and scooped the food into the small plate on Amaya’s tray. Out of the blue, people started yelling and squirming around.

“Hey! You cut in line!”

“Back off, kid!”

Amaya looked back to see what all the commotion was about. And of course, she saw Peter dashing in front of everyone in the line just for her.  
“Peter! Everyone will hate you now!” She gasped sarcastically, her eyes as wide as saucers. Peter scoffed at her comment and smoothened his hair. “I don’t know what your talking about. Nonsense! False! Ina-” 

“Dude! Why is everyone cutting in line today?!” Peter and Amaya looked back in unison, seeing their cheery friend Ned trying to make his way through to his friends.

“Oh gosh…” Peter sighed.

“Hey guys!” Ned said, panting, resting his hands on his knees.“Hey, Ned”, Peter and Amaya said together.The group of friends bought their lunches together and walked to their table together. They sat in the back of the cafeteria. With MJ. 

“So, how do you think you did on your exam?” MJ asked Amaya.

“Which one?”

“Physics”, Peter and MJ said in unison. Peter blushed and looked down while MJ looked sideways, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Ned and Amaya exchanged evil glances and knew what to do. 

“So, Peter... “ Amaya said slowly, raising her eyebrow.

“Yeah, Amaya?” Peter answered through gritted teeth, warning her. MJ looked at Peter and Amaya with a questioning look on her face. 

“Um…” MJ looked uncomfortable.

“How are you? I haven’t seen you at all today!”

“Yeah, me neither”, Ned added, looking at Amaya.

“I was at class, Amaya. Where else would I be?” Peter spat out, raising his eyebrows, warning Amaya. Amaya opened her mouth to speak but MJ got up and excused herself to go empty her tray. Instantly, Amaya and Ned burst into a fit of giggles and Peter groaned.

“Dudes! What was that for?”

Amaya and Ned couldn’t stop laughing. Amaya started shedding tears and Ned nearly snorted out the chocolate milk he just chugged. Peter rolled his eyes and hid his face in his arms. 

“Oh, come on Pete! It’s just a little joke”, Amaya insisted. Peter looked up and saw MJ coming back. “I guess. But she’s coming back now so don’t pull anything else, dudes”.

Amaya took a deep breath and put a serious face on.

Amaya’s life was all about hiding. In fact, she has become and expert on it. Once you are known for being alone, you pretty much gained the power of invisibility at Midtown High School. People described Amaya and her friends as “weird” and “uncool” but they didn’t know that they say the same. The other students gave them nasty looks, so do Amaya and her friends behind their backs. Every time someone opened their mouth to remark a stupid thing about her, Amaya turned on her heel and left. She was pretty much unbreakable at school. But after two-thirty, her brain switched off that mindset. She was home. Amaya arrived at her house, unlocking the door with her rusted key. Peter decided to hang out with MJ instead. Amaya didn’t mind of course. She could use some alone time. Again.

“Hey… I’m home”, Amaya nearly whispered.

“Come here now, you disgrace! What have you done!?”

Not a slightest bit surprised, Amaya trudged over to her mother, expecting a dumb reason for her calling over. 

“Yes, mother?”

“Your father has fallen sick! All thanks to you and your foolishness!”

Burning rage fired up inside Amaya, but she forced it down her throat. “W-what do you mean mother? We haven’t spoken in a while” 

“What do you mean what do I mean?” Her mother screeched, anger sizzling in her eyes.

Amaya stood, full of anger she concealed for years. “You know what, mother? I’m sick of all this! I get blamed for stupid things like this for no reason! I’m leaving and I’ve been packed for five months. This is abuse whether you think it or not. I’m so done with this”, Amaya shouted at her negligent mother’s face. 

“And you’re not freaking stopping me”

“Amaya, wait…”

“No! I won’t! I’m tired of this! If dad’s dying, you’re on your own. He won’t care if I’m there or not. And neither would you. Good freakin’ bye”

“Amaya, we know. We know you feel this way, but…”

“But what? You didn’t know how to approach me? You are my mother! For Heaven's sake…” Amaya stormed off and gathered her suitcase and backpack, stuffed with her belongings. 

“Amaya where are you even going to go?” 

“Peter’s house?”

“Please…”

Mother got no answer. Amaya got up, holding the bar of her suitcase in one hand, the other hand clutching her violin case. Emotionless and dry-eyed, Amaya walked straight out the door, leaving it open. She could hear her mother sobbing in the background, crying out her name but no. No. All the pain she’s been feeling since her aunt died burst right out and boy did it feel great. Amaya hoped to God her mother drowned in regret. Because she deserves it.Before she knew it, Amaya arrived at the front door of the apartment she knew for the longest of time. She knocked on the door. She heard the patter of footsteps.  
The door creaked open. 

“Peter? You’re home so early”, May said. May opened the door opened fully and saw Amaya. Amaya ran into May’s arms sobbing uncontrollably. 

“Amaya! Goodness, what’s going on? Please, come inside. You must be tired from that walk” Amaya let go, brought her stuff in, and collapsed on the couch. May rushed to the kitchen, searching for something she could give Amaya to eat.

“I’m okay, May. I don’t need anything to eat”, Amaya weakly mumbled. May pursed her lips and nodded, heading over to the poor child. She knelt down next to Amaya, stroking her face, painted with tears. 

“Do you want to talk about what happened, honey?” Amaya took a huge shaky, breath and nodded. She told May everything, stopping a few times to let out cries. May looked up the whole time, trying not to cry too. May tilted Amaya’s face to look at her.

“It’s going to be okay, Amaya. You can stay with us for now but we’re going to have to find a new home for you, okay?” Painfully, Amaya nodded yes. She wished she could stay here forever but she knew May couldn’t afford it.

“Peter’ll be home soon, okay honey?”

Amaya smiled and closed her eyes, drifting off into the most peaceful sleep she’s had in ages. 

Amaya woke up, still on the Parker’s couch, this time draped in a blanket someone must’ve put on her. 

“Amaya! Finally, you’re awake. You took the longest nap ever”, Peter said, moving his hands a lot.

“Hey Pete. Why are you moving your hands so much. You’re giving me motion sickness”

He blushed and said, “I read an article… it said moving your hands brings attention to you…”Amaya burst out laughing. 

“Did MJ notice you? On your daaate?” 

“Oh shut up, Princess. At least I went on a date. I’ve never seen you with any other guys besides me and Ned”, Peter shot back. 

Amaya rolled her eyes and tried to get up. She tried pushing herself up but she was too weak.

“It’s okay, A. Just relax for now. Let me get you something to drink”, Peter soothed. 

Following Peter’s orders, Amaya kept herself down and waited for Peter to come with her water. A few minutes passed and Amaya began to think Peter just forgot about it so she decided to go back to sleep.

Everything seemed as though her eyesight had a blurry, white tint to it. Snow was falling delicately on the trees around her. She was surrounded by trees, in fact. Everywhere she looked, there was an endless array of leafless trees. She looked down. She was wearing a beautiful white gown. Suddenly, there was a ginormous gust of wind and her gown flew up to cover her eyes. Then the scenery changed. She was surrounded by clocks ticking. Looking around, she saw nothing else. She walked around, brushing her fingers across the wooden clocks. The clocks came in many forms; grandfather to pendulum to watches. That’s when she noticed something. It was a flock of doves, each one clamping a lavender between their beaks. She was confused. She was calm, though. Her vision shattered. 

Amaya screamed. 

“Whoa, man! You okay? That scared me”, Peter said, jumping. Amaya’s breathing got faster and heavier. Peter rushed over and put his hand on his friends forehead. 

“Hey, man, I’m not an expert but I think you have a fever. I’ll ask May what to give you, okay?”

Amaya nodded slightly yet vigorously, laying herself back down. She felt her own forehead and sure enough, we was burning up. She heard distinct chatter. 

“Oh dear… Well, let’s see what we have…” May said solicitously. 

“Thank you guys for everything. I know you don’t need me around right now considering everything happening but…” 

“It’s okay, A. We got you”, Peter finished.

Finally, Amaya felt at ease. The rest of her day went smoothly, popping a pill every time her headache got unbearable (which was quite often). 

No one knew who did it or why it happened. No one bothered to care. Three years later Amaya is just turning eight. Everyone she knows and remembers is there. 

“Come on, squirt! Make a wish!” Her eleven year old cousin Jennah exclaims. She thinks. She wonders which option to choose out of a billion. 

“Do you want me to say it out loud?”

“No!” Everyone hollered, matter-of-factly.

And so she pondered. A new Barbie doll set? A puppy? A Spirograph?  
Then she had it. An Aunt Julia.

She blew out the candles.

It was the next day. Amaya sat in front of the television, staring at it blankly, watching the news. She had to go out at do something. It was half-past eleven and Amaya decided she couldn’t just sit inside all day. Peter had gone off to school but she didn’t go. She still wasn’t feeling good. But she wanted to do something. Right off the bat, she already knew what she wanted but she didn’t want to barge in on her poor teacher. But she felt a searing urge to go anyway. So that’s what she did.

“‘Bye May! I’m going to my violin class”, I called. 

She didn’t hear a response. She assumed May was taking a nap. Amaya knew the way to Mr. Sullivan’s house from Peter’s apartment easily. The only difference was taking a simple left turn.

“Mr. Sullivan? Sorry to barge in like this. Are you awake?” 

There was dead silence. Hopefully not literally. Amaya felt something burning in her stomach.

“M-Mr. S-Sullivan?” She stammered, heading up the stairs.

Her palms began to sweat and her heartbeat grew faster. On the third step, she walked faster. She muttered prayers under her breath as she reached the last stair. She knocked on his bedroom door. She got no response. 

“Mr. Sullivan, please! Please, just say something!” 

Tears streamed down her face that’s been through enough. She opened the door knowing what was coming. The door opened fully and she saw her worst nightmare.

“No! Goddamnit! Please, sir! Nonononono”, Amaya cried, running to his fallen body.  
It seemed that he had gotten up from bed and had something of a heart attack which caused him to fall out of his wheelchair. Amaya was helpless. She took her teachers cold hand. She did the one thing she could. She dialed the police.  
Amaya sat next to him the whole ride to the ER. 

“Ms. Amaya?” A nurse called. Amaya got up and walked to her, looking more dreadful than the dinosaurs when the meteor hit. 

“He’s on life support, okay honey? It’s not likely for people to live this long after a heart attack… we’ll do our best”, the nurse merely whispered. 

Amaya place her hand above her lip, closing her eyes and nodding. The green in her hazel eyes faded away with the colour in her cheeks. Amaya sat down and thought of illicit things she could have done to upset God because clearly He was. She wondered when peace would finally be brought to her. Peace. Peace… it hit her. Her dream. Her dream was about this very question she’s been having since she was oh, so little. Clocks? Doves? Of course! How’d she not see this? She looked around for something to write on and whipped out the pen she kept in her jacket pocket. All the dread she’d been feeling left her and soon and she began writing. She wrote what her dream meant. The clocks surrounding her meant that she would have to be patient and wait. The doves flying by with lavender meant that peace would come. So, she would have to wait for time to pass her by to gain the peace and calmness she’s been hungry for. 

“Amaya Abdulkarim? Is there an Am-”, 

“Yes, ma’am?” 

The nurse had a terrified look on her face. Suddenly, Amaya’s happiness drifted away.

“Y-yes?” Amaya repeated.

“Mr. Sullivan won’t make it. Come say your last words”, the nurse said apologetically.

Amaya cried silent tears as she walked with the nurse into her teachers room. She saw his barely-alive body laying in a hospital bed. Her lips quivered as she tried to open her mouth to speak. 

“Mr. Sullivan?” Amaya let out a small breath. What use was it? He wasn’t even going to respond.

“Mr. Sullivan, thank you so much. You… you were like a father. You were there for me, ready with your violin at any time. You trusted me and damn… This hurts. A little too much”, Amaya whispered, voice shaking like an earthquake.  
His heartbeat went flat. 

Amaya cried for a thousand years. Nothing could make her happy, not even her violin. Amaya felt like she couldn’t breathe. Her heart was being squeezed, her lungs were tight and her stomach burned with agony. The posters in Peter’s room gave her the slightest bit of comfort in the endless abyss of sorrow. They reminded her of Peter when he wasn’t there to cheer her up. 

It was almost half past ten in the morning and Amaya was still in her pajamas. Did she want to go to school? Should she just suck it up as always and go? She’s been asking herself the same questions since… since the “accident”. She kept herself, and Peter awake at night, getting no sleep at all. Sighing, Amaya finally got up to go change into something suitable for school. She slipped on her black jeans and a black tank top. Amaya never liked showing her arms. There wasn’t a specific reason. She just didn’t like it so, she put on the “Julia jacket” and headed out. Something Amaya never realized (or cared for, really) were the many zippers on the jacket. Of course, she knew there were obviously two huge pockets on each side, but she didn’t notice the zippers just below the collar and on the cuffs. She always fiddled with the zipper but never cared to open it. So it wasn’t until today when someone came up to her that she decided to search them.

“Hey yo lady. Sick jacket, yo. Zippers are in style, man. So fresh”, a hippie from the streets said as Amaya was walking to school.

Amaya forced a half-smile and moved along. Wait… What are in these zippers? Amaya thought. She unzipped the left zipper on the cuff and pulled out a pin with a bee on it. Amaya didn’t find any interest in it so she put it back in the zipper. She unzipped the other cuff and saw a bunch of gum wrappers tumble out. Amaya muttered something under her breath as she tried to stuff them back in. After that, she decided to open up the other ones at… home. 

Amaya’s school day went like all the other days. Stares, scrunched up noses and Peter. 

“Hey Petey”, Amaya said, smiling.

“Oh! You’re here…” Peter said kind of slowly and glumly.

“E-excuse me? Is there s-something wrong?”

“No it’s just… I sort of wanted to talk to MJ alone today. I’m sorry please don’t kill me Amaya”, Peter sighed.

Amaya burst out laughing. “It’s okay, Peter. Just don’t give her whiplash with your hand, okay?”

Peter rolled his eyes and shoved Amaya with her shoulder.

“Bye Pete”, Amaya said amidst from the laughter.

Peter turned around and nodded at Amaya, making her smile. You know, if MJ made Peter happy, Amaya should just let it be. And so she did. She let go of her envy. At least Peter wasn’t into that girl Liz anymore. Amaya hated her. She was such a fake, pretty girl. Out of the blue, someone shoved Amaya by accident and she snapped back into reality. Amaya shuffled around the cafeteria looking for an empty table. To her surprise, she saw Ned sitting alone.

“He kicked you out too?” 

Ned looked up and nodded sadly. Amaya giggled and rolled her eyes.

“Don’t be so clingy, dude. Plus, I’m way better than Peter”, Amaya insisted. 

“I guess…”

Amaya dramatically acted offended and sat down.

“What’s up? I didn’t think you’d actually be that sad because Pete kicked you out”, Amaya asked, concerned for Ned.

Ned looked sideways in the midst of eating another huge bite of his mashed potatoes. Amaya raised her eyebrows as if to ask the question once more. 

“I don’t know… It’s just… What if Peter and MJ actually start dating? Like, he already wanted us to sit somewhere else now and they aren’t even dating!”

Amaya thought about this for a second. She knew it was wrong but she still felt it. She usually did push her feelings aside but this is Peter she was talking about. Her only close friend. Then she saw Ned. She had to make sure Ned was okay with it even if she wasn’t.

“Hey, Peter wouldn’t do that. He’s too much of a softie to ditch you like that. Got it?"  
Ned sighed and shrugged.

“Aaand… done!” Amaya squealed, high-fiving Peter.

They’d just finished icing and decorating Aunt May’s birthday cake. It was a three layered cake, two chocolates and one vanilla. Amaya had completely forgot about the zippers she was going to open.

“Dude, we’re like, professional”, Peter claimed.

Amaya laughed. “Yeah, I wish, pea-brain”

Then she had a devilious idea.

“Hey, Peter… think fast!” 

She smeared white icing on the side of Peter’s face.

“Oh no you didn’t, Princess!”

Peter grabbed a handful of flour and blew it all over Amaya’s hair.

“Peter! Okay, you are asking for it”, Amaya warned.

The two bickered and food-fought until Amaya nearly threw the cake at Peter’s face. Suddenly, Aunt May came bursting through the door. Powdery and sticky, Peter and Amaya squeaked out a loud “Surprise!”

“What? Oh, thank you guys but… Peter! Amaya! We have to leave now”, May said, worriedly and quickly.

“Wait, what to do you mean? Like, move? Or just leaving for a few hours? What’s going on?” Peter anxiously asked.

“No time to explain. Pack for two or three days. And hurry!”

Peter and Amaya exchanged worried looks. Was May out of her mind? They couldn’t leave just like that! They were caked in… cake.

“May, please just tell us why. We’re worried about you”, Amaya pleaded.

May ignored them and continued skimming through the apartment, grabbing things and shoving them in her suitcase. Eventually, they gave up and decided to obey orders.

“What’s going on?” Amaya whispered to Peter who was sniffing his socks to check if they were clean or not. 

“I don’t know! There’s only one thing I can think of and it’s not good”  
Amaya grumbled at the fact of not knowing what it was, but she continued packing the few things she owned. 

“Okay, let’s go, kids!”

Amaya stuffed the last few things in her sleek, black suitcase and glanced at Peter to make sure he was ready to go. They left the apartment with May darting way ahead. They scrambled onto the bus as Peter and Amaya wondered where they were going. Half an hour later, they arrived at their stop.

“May! Where are we?” Peter asked one last time, expecting a real answer.

“You’ll see, honey. We’ll be okay, alright?” She kissed his head.

It was only when they walked for twenty minutes that Peter realized that they were Avengers Tower. 

“Holy shit! May! How’d you- What?” 

May smirked and tucked Peter under her arm. “Tony’s going to keep us safe for now, okay?”  
Peter nodded while Amaya was hyperventilating. 

“You mean like… T-Tony S-St-Stark? Oh jeez, I-I don’t think I can h-handle that”, Amaya said, shaking her hands in the air.

“It’s gonna be fine, A. I think Mr. Stark’ll like you”, Peter said matter-of-factly.

“Show-off”, Amaya scoffed playfully.

Peter rolled his eyes and moments later, they were at the front steps or the Avengers Tower. Amaya was still freaking out, but Peter didn’t hesitate to ring the “doorbell”. 

“Who is it?” 

“Peter Parker and friends. Well, not really friends. Family I gu-”

The door automatically opened (also cutting Peter off), and the crew headed inside.

“Hey kid. You’re covered in… drugs?”, Tony said. Peter filled with unmistakable embarrassment.

“Thank you so much, Tony. We’re sorry to disturb you and your… hero-ness. I hope it’s okay we came a day early?”, May stammered, hugging Tony for a quick second.

Tony looked at May and smiled. Then he saw Amaya. There was an awkward silence.

“Oh, um… this is Peter’s best-friend, Amaya. I hope you will let her stay with us”, May said breathlessly.

“Pleasure to meet you, kid. Peter never mentioned you”, Tony said, eyeing Peter.

“Oh, um…”

There was somewhat of an orchestra of “um…” and “uh…” before Peter mustered up the courage to tell Tony.

“Mm. Okay, well parents suck everyone goes through it. Move on”, Tony started. “But you’re Peter’s so I sort of trust you. Let’s go. J.A.R.V.I.S? Show them to the guest-rooms”

“Oh, Mr. Stark we aren’t… togh-”

“Yeah, yeah”. 

When everyone settled in their rooms, Peter marched up to May and demanded some answers.

“Look Petey, sweetheart…”

Peter stopped everything. He knew something was up. May would never, ever call him Petey. She knows he hates it. 

“May… Are you okay?”

May tilted her head and frowned. “W-Why yes. I’m fine… Why?”

Out of the blue, Peter webbed May’s hands behind her back. He kicked her in the face and webbed her ankles together, causing her to fall down.

“Peter! What are you doing?!”

Peter ignored Amaya and continued beating up May. Flashing before her eyes, Amaya saw a bright glow of blue, making her shut her eyes. When she opened her eyes, she heard a mucusy yell and saw an ugly creature lying in the spot of May.

“What the hell is going on!"

“I don’t know but that’s not May!”

“Wait, wait! Peter, if that’s not May…”

As if on cue, “Tony Stark” appeared at the doorway and morphed into an almost identical version of “May”. He lunged at Peter and they started throwing fist and spilling blood like it was nothing. 

“Peter!” Amaya cried, trying to look for something to throw at the monster.

She grabbed her suitcase and clubbed the monster on the head. 

“Nice job, Princess!” Peter uttered between web shots.

Amaya tried to smile and thought of another idea. She ran outside the room and yelled.

“J.A.R.V.I.S?”

“Hello, Amaya”, he responded.

“J.A.R.V.I.S, call Mr. Stark. Tell him there’s an emergency at the tower. That one was fake!”

“Of course, ma’am. Calling: Tony Stark”

Amaya dashed back to the room where she saw that “May” had ripped herself out of the webs and joined in with the fight. Amaya thought she was helpless. She couldn’t do anything. Peter was the one with powers and webs. Not her. She wasn’t anything special. She never was.  
But that was all what she thought. What Amaya didn’t know was… the world is a mysterious place. You may think everything is normal but inside of everyone there’s something different. Everyone has a supernatural power. Powers aren’t just blasting things from your forehead and moving things without touching them. Someone’s power could be to always have chap-stick on them at all times; you never know! But Amaya didn’t know that. She didn’t know she had the power of telekinesis either. She shut her eyes tight and started sobbing. If she saw Peter die...

“Amaya don’t worry, I’ve got-”, Peter started. “I’ve got this! Just go and text Aunt May!”

Amaya didn’t move. She blocked out all of the noise and thought of something crazy. Well, if Thor and Loki actually exist, maybe, just maybe, if she tried hard enough, she could try to- Suddenly, the monsters crashed against the wall. Amaya opened her eyes at the speed of light and saw them groaning. She smirked. She did it again. The monsters clashed with the ceiling, the floor and hit all the desks and beds in the room. 

“Amaya! What the- what?” 

Amaya wasn’t scared. She was happy. But this kind of happy wasn’t a normal kind of happy. It was full of vengeance and justice. Maybe even hate. She pounded the evil  
creatures several times again every surface possible until they cried for her to stop in their hideous voices.

“What is going on in here?” 

The Amaya turned around and saw Tony standing there shocked. 

“Mr. Stark! These alien dudes just showed up here and like, they morphed into you and May and, and, and…”

“Relax kid it’s okay. J.A.R.V.I.S, how couldn’t you tell it wasn’t me?” 

“Perhaps I could use an update, sir”

“Damn right”, Tony muttered under his breath. “Okay, let’s kick these guys outta here and get you guys home alright?”

Peter and Amaya nodded.

“Wait, Mr. Stark? Um… I… Do you know anyone who can sort of mentor me or something? With magic? I-I just found out I had, well, I don’t know… power? I guess? B-But I mean, uh you don’t have to it’s just-”

“Yeah, yeah, kid. I’ll find you someone. I think I have someone in mind”, Tony smirked as he finished his sentence. Ah, Strange… That son of a… Tony thought to himself. 

"Mr. Stark? You're turning a little red", Amaya pointed out.

Tony whipped around and glared at Amaya. "Zip it, kid"

Amaya left the apartment bright and early in the morning a few days after the whole shape-shifting-monster-incident. Mr. Stark had set her up some lessons with Doctor Strange to control and realize what her powers can do. She left with the clothes on her back, her jacket, and her cellphone. Her phone buzzed. It was Peter saying that Amaya should be careful with her words around Strange. He could get little bit feisty. Amaya smirked and hopped on the bus. Doctor Strange told Amaya to meet him at a specific place in New York. She hadn’t really been to the heart of New York many times so she wasn’t used to the big crowds and people staring at you as they passed by. She arrived at the place thirty minutes after she got off the bus. When she arrived, she saw and old looking building with a glass semi-circle slightly budding from the rooftop. Amaya raised her fist to knock on the door but it flew open without a single touch. Nervously, Amaya stepped inside the wooden building and looked around. The door slammed behind her and she was surprised by a deep, manly voice. 

“Good morning, Amaya. I’m Doctor Stephen Strange. I can see you didn’t eat breakfast yet?”

Confused, Amaya looked down checking if she looked skinnier than she did yesterday. 

“Okay well, I guess that’s the first thing I should tell you. I sense things you humans cannot”, Strange said, moving his hands in a peculiar way. 

Almost causing Amaya to jump, a blazing orange circle popped up right in front of Amaya’s eyes, sparks flying everywhere. Inside of the circle she saw what she did in the morning. She saw herself wake up with a giddy, nervous smile. 

“So you can see whatever you want with that circle thingy?” 

“Not everything. I would have to see it first”, Doctor Strange said.

“But… I’ve never seen you before, sir”, Amaya said, perplexed.

“Actually, I have. You just don’t notice the little things”

Amaya thought about this. When she thought about it, she knew that there was so much she didn’t know.

“Well then teach me. Teach me to notice the little things”

As soon as Amaya said that, she regretted it. She sounded snooty and full of herself. But to her surprise, Strange said, “I like your style, kid. Come, let me give you a tour of the Sanctum”

Amaya followed Doctor Strange around the Sanctum, each artifact taking her breath away along with her worries.

“This is the Axe of Angarrumus. Don’t touch anything”

“Wasn’t planning to”

Doctor Strange side-eyed Amaya and smirked. He liked her. Not many people liked Amaya.

After the tour, Strange took Amaya back to the main entrance. 

“Now, the place I trained was called Kamar-Taj, but that’s all the way in the Himalayas. We’re going to train right here” 

Strange moved his hands again, but this time, he formed a larger circle on the ground. Amaya heard shuffling from the stairs of the Sanctum.

“Um, sir? Is there someone here?”

“Oh yeah, that’s my assistant, Wong. Don’t mind him”, Strange shrugged like having an assistant was no big deal.

“Can he, um…” Amaya moved her hands round, trying to explain. “Magic?”

Strange let out a little laugh. “Yes, he can ‘magic’”

Amaya blushed and tucked a strand of her cocoa hair behind her ear. 

“Now, the first thing you need to know is whether or not your powers come from your mind or hands. Or both”, Strange explained. “As you can see, mine come from my hands”

Amaya looked at his hands in awe.

He told Amaya to focus as he put an apple he created out of nowhere on the ground, ignoring her curiosity. 

“Now try to put this apple in my hand”, Strange held up the palm of his hand.

“Okay, I Got this”, Amaya muttered under her breath, shutting her eyes.

Amaya thought long and hard about the apple moving but it didn’t happen.

“You aren’t relaxed enough, neither are you focused enough”, Strange said sternly.

Amaya opened her eyes, nodded and took in a deep breath. She tried over and over again but did not succeed. Her eyes filled with tears of frustration, but she tugged them back. Strange came up behind her and held her wrists tenderly. 

“Amaya, you need to calm down. You aren’t even close to calm. If it’ll help, I can leave”, Strange said with his deep voice.  
Amaya gulped and shook her head. Her forehead sheened with sweat. She thought about what it took to help Peter. What was it? Was it fear? Desperation to save them? Maybe… to impress Peter? Suddenly, the apple flew to the left. Amaya’s eyes flung open and she saw a soft, purple light fade away. 

“I- What?”

Strange tried to hide his smile. “Congratulations, Amaya”

Amaya didn’t believe it. It was because she wanted to impress Peter? Peter? That’s definitely not what she was feeling in the moment. So she tried again. She thought about moving the apple to land perfectly in Strange’s hand, and land perfectly in his hand it did. 

“I’m honestly impressed. You did it without me forcing you which usually happens with… other people”, Strange said, murmuring the last part.  
Confused, Amaya just ignored it. “Yeah… Thanks? Do I need to come here again?"

“Well, of course”, Strange scoffed. “You need to learn to master your powers. Control them”  
Bummed out on the inside, Amaya showed gratitude and enthusiasm to Strange on the outside. “Thanks again, Doctor. Uhh…”

“You didn’t say thank you before. It’s the first time" 

“Oh shut up”, Amaya said, stifling a laugh. As soon as she said it though, she looked at Strange, waiting for him to yell at her. 

“It’s okay. I don’t normally let that pass but… Never mind. Have a nice day”, Strange said, trying to hide his expressions. 

Amaya arched her brow and smiled at Strange, looking back at him as she left the Sanctum.

Going to the Sanctum was one of the best times Amaya has ever had. Yeah sure, she did have a hard time trying to control her powers but other than that, it was great. She liked having a friend other than Peter. Someone she thought she could trust. Amaya came home thirty-five minutes later, knocking on the door of the apartment. May answered the door.

“Oh dear, we really need to get you a key don’t we?”

Amaya laughed and went inside, closing and locking the door behind her. She kicked off her rip-off Converse and slipped her jacket off. As she did so, she remembered the  
pockets she was curious about not too long ago. 

“May? When will Peter be home?”

“Um… Around an hour or so. Why?”

Jeez. He left like, three hours ago. Four hours just for a silly date?

“Amaya?”

She blinked. “Huh? Oh, just asking”  
Amaya smiled at May, and walked to Peter’s room to investigate her jacket. She skipped the cuff zippers since she already opened them before. For some odd reason, Amaya felt nervous opening the other four zippers. Holding her breath long enough for it to hurt inside, she unzipped the left zipper under the collar. Out came coins from all over the globe, pouring . Marvelled, Amaya picked up each coin one by one examining it like it was the frog she dissected in seventh grade. Amaya knew Aunt Julia collected coins from every country she visited (which were a lot of countries), but she never knew she had this many. She had coins from Portugal, Nauru, Mauritius, Korea, and honestly, probably a billion more. Something told Amaya that she had to protect these no matter what. Something told Amaya that Aunt Julia mattered to her more than life itself. She took a moment to calm down and collect herself before unzipping the left zipper below the collar. Amaya opened all the other zippers and found random knick knacks from Aunt Julia, but she left the last one. A strong feeling of anxiety tugged at Amaya when she finally got to the final zipper. She decided to keep it for tonight or the next day instead. For her own sake. She heard the door slam shut. 

“Hey, guys!” 

Amaya recognized Peter’s bubbly, teenage voice in an instant. “Hi, Pete”  
Peter walked into his room where Amaya was still sitting. He plopped onto the bed next to Amaya and asked her what she was doing. 

“I realized there were zippers in my jacket. I’m saving the last one, though”

“Can we open it now? I’m curious to see what the famed Aunt Julia keeps in her pockets”, Peter asks, fingering the zipper. 

Amaya bit her lip. “I guess. But just for you, okay?”  
Peter smiled and got comfortable. Amaya squeezed her eyes shut as she delicately unzipped the zipper. She opened her eyes slowly, but saw nothing. 

“What? Are you serious?” Amaya groaned. 

“Wait, I think there’s something in there”, Peter said, pulling two things out of the pocket.

There, Amaya saw a polaroid picture which she placed upside down to surprise her, and a diamond ring. Out of the blue, tears swelled up in Amaya’s eyes. It was Aunt Julia’s wedding ring.

Amaya was four when her favourite aunt got married. She still remembers it though. Amaya was stuffed into a puffy dress earlier that morning and spritzed with Mama’s perfume. Calla Lily. Amaya had her hair styled by a professional too, thanks to Aunt Julia. Her hair was in a twisted braid with gold flowers planted in it, matching the flowers on Aunt Julia’s veil. Messy, yet elegant. Thirty minutes later, Amaya found herself sitting in Mama’s lap, waiting for Aunt Julia to walk up the aisle. Just as Amaya was about to run off due to extreme boredom, Aunt Julia came, gracefully walking through the doorway. Her dressed flowed at the end, trailing four metres behind her. The way the dress cut at her shoulders, and the way the lace above the cut fit around her was all just perfect. From her pink lips, to the cute bouquet, to her sparkly, elegant sandals, Aunt Julia is what Amaya wanted to be when she grew up. Amaya continued to notice all the small things that made Aunt Julia flawless (like the way her bun still showed how curly her hair was), and before she knew it, it was time for the ring bearer to give the rings. Amaya was in the second row. She saw how exquisite the ring was. Diamonds upon diamonds upon diamonds. 

“You may kiss the bride”

“Yoo-hoo. Amayaaa…”

Amaya snapped back into reality and realized she was clutching the ring really tight. She let go and saw red marks on her palms. Her cheeks were wet. Peter pulled her into a soft embrace. 

“I miss her”, Amaya barely breathed.

“It’s okay, A. It’s alright”

Amaya shook in Peter’s arms until she gathered the courage to finally look at the last thing. The polaroid. She picked it up with her fragile fingers and saw it. Her cheeks went dry, her eyes smiled and her lips let out a soft laugh. It was her and Aunt Julia. Aunt Julia was lifting her in the air, both of them smiling brightly. But then she noticed something. No. It can’t be. She felt sick. Amaya screamed and rushed out of the apartment. Her hearing shut down and her vision was blurry. She didn’t know where she was going. All she remembered was going inside the elevator and stepping out. But her brain forgot everything else. 

 

“Amaya? What are you doing here? You’re only supposed to come once a week”

Amaya stood silent, staring at the red-caped man in front of her. Strange sighed. Amaya’s lips curled and her eyes watered. Strange’s face stilled in a serious expression. But tears were falling from Amaya’s cheeks onto her wool sweater and the floor. 

"You can't stay here, Amaya", Strange said sternly.

Amaya and her trembling body turned around, getting ready to leave, but Strange’s cape slapped him in the face.

“What?” Strange muttered angrily to his cape. 

The cape tugged at Strange while pointing at Amaya walking away slowly, wiping her tears with her sleeve. Strange frowned and sighed. He hated to admit it, but he did have a soft spot for Amaya. 

“Amaya, wait”, Strange said, almost stuttering the words.

She turned around red-faced and shaking. Strange walked over to her and put his arm around her neck. He rubbed her shoulder as she cried in his chest. 

Amaya woke up in a small room. The room had one small square window, cut into four smaller squares. The light shone through, shining light on the dust particles floating in the air. The room had creaking, worn, wood floors. Pure wood. The walls were some sort of cold stone. There were books everywhere and a small desk in the corner of the room. Everything was either a rusty bronze colour or a dark brown. Amaya somehow felt… home. She got out of the small twin bed, everything creaking as she moved. She wondered where her shoes went, and where here jacket had run off to. Actually, she never wanted to see it again. It was bitter-sweet.The things she found in the pockets brought back haunting memories, but they also brought back loving ones. She didn’t know how to feel. She pushed all her exasperating and exhausting thoughts away and opened the squeaky door. 

“Doctor Strange?”

Amaya looked around, whipping her head back and forth. She saw nothing. 

“Wong?” She tried helplessly. 

She heard nothing. Her heartbeat started to quicken. She wanted to run upstairs, but noticed the ginormous gaping hole in the stairs. Splints were scattered everywhere and sawdust was still roaming in the air. How long has she been asleep? How did she sleep through a crash like that? Amaya found her jacket and shoes and slipped both of them on. She burst out the large doors and saw people crying and screaming. She saw broken down street signs and crumbling buildings. A screaming woman holding a wailing baby in her arms darted by.

“What’s going on?” Amaya tried her best to yell.

She grabbed her phone and called Peter but he didn’t respond. Something is definitely wrong. Amaya found herself walking for an hour to Peter’s apartment, immediately rupturing through the doors. Here hands were shaking like a volcano ready to erupt. 

“May, what in the world is going on?!”

Amaya spotted May crying on the sofa. “I don’t… Peter”  
Oh. My. Lord. How could Amaya forget? Peter was Spiderman goddamnit! But wait, wasn’t he on a field trip to MOMA? So many questions boggled Amaya’s brain. She tried her best to keep everything in but seeing May break down made her lose it. Just like that, the cork bottling all her questions and feelings popped out. 

“May…” Amaya barely whispered. 

The hugged each other and cried for what felt like a million years.

Amaya woke up the next day with her head on the floor. There was a large blanket covering her, keeping her warm. She could feel the dry tears on her cheeks. The sun stung her eyes as she got up from her place. Peter still wasn’t back. Peter. He was such a good person. Such a pure boy. Amaya cried again and snatched every memory of her and Peter she could remember. She was desperate. Helpless. She wanted to scream, tear everything apart. But… why? Why did she feel this way only for Peter? Of course, he was there for her when no one else was but how come Amaya barely cried for Aunt Julia? She couldn’t figure it out. No matter how many puzzle pieces she had in her mind, none of them fit. No two went together. And to make it worse, Amaya kept remembering him. Even though she wanted it, it hurt like hell. It was bittersweet. She remembers the sweet feeling of him pulling her into a warm hug when she most needed it. She remembers his eyes. Peter’s eyes were like a maze. Once your in them, it’s hard to escape. Amaya misses the way he looked at her straight in the eye when he spoke to her, and the way he treated her like… a princess. He really did think Amaya was a princess. But she didn’t even realize it. She took advantage of him to the very last ounce. He made sure she felt like she was important, but did Amaya ever make sure Peter felt that way? Did she ever ask him if he needed something? No. And that’s why she’s not going to give up on him. She’ll do whatever it takes. Whatever it takes. 

Amaya spent the next three hours just playing notes on her violin. She made up melodies to distract herself. It was like the music grabbed her thoughts and stored it in the violin. The music expressed Amaya’s feelings. May’s neighbour went out for a smoke on his balcony and watched her play. Suddenly, the man began yelling. Amaya darted her head in the direction of the screaming and saw something horrifying. 

“What’s going on!?” 

She saw the man crumble into tiny specks of dust. Amaya wondered if she was dreaming, as it was only ten o’clock, but when she pinched herself she was assured reality. She ran inside only to find the same thing happening to May.

“May!”

But it was too late. May was dusting away, looking at her limbs like a ghost.

“It’s going to be okay”, May promised Amaya. 

She was gone. Amaya ran to Peter’s room to find his suit. Goddamnit! He took it with him! Suddenly, Amaya started to fade away, too. Her right side started turning into tiny specks of dust. Her eyes started to swell up with tears. She was scared. Her heart beat slowed down quicker than before as she was dusting away. She prayed she was going to be with Peter.

Amaya woke up with a start. Yelling, she darted upwards while sweat trickled down her back, her heart thudding. Amaya quickly unraveled herself from the dreary covers of her bed and rushed to the bathroom. As soon as she entered, she locked the door and threw up in the toilet. She wiped her mouth with a piece of toilet paper as she flushed the toilet. Her breathing got heavier. Her breathing got shakier. This time, something didn’t feel right. She was living in the same house as she was before, her bathroom looked the same, her doorway looked the same, but something was off. Amaya crept out into her hallway and creaked open her parent’s room door. No one was there. As much as she hated her parents, she wanted to make sure they were okay.  
“Mom? Dad?”  
Amaya ran outside to her balcony and saw the moon. She saw the moon and the sun. The moon was on the east and the sun was on the west. Amaya heard screaming and panicking in the streets. Holy crap. She dusted away. She dusted away. She literally disintegrated.

“Katie! Where are you! Katie, please!” 

She heard the calling of names and babies wailing. Amaya didn’t care about those people. Not even the slightest bit. All she wanted was to see Peter’s face again. But something was still bugging her. What felt different? PeterPeterPeterPeter. So many things were going on in her brain. Amaya’s vision felt tinted. She rubbed her eyes, but the tint wouldn’t go away. That’s when Amaya got it.  
“Everything is orange…”

It was an alternate universe. She bolted back into her house and grabbed her jacket. She slid her shoes on and scrambled out the door. Whatever it takes, she kept thinking to herself. She needed Peter. Amaya needed Peter. Tears ran down her face faster than a rap song just thinking of Peter. She wanted him to know that she loved him so damn much. She wanted him to know how much she appreciated him just being alive and how much she wished she had helped him but no. It was all over. It’s the end of the world, isn’t it? Everything is stained orange for heaven’s sake. People are causing a ruckus in the streets. It had to be the end. 

She snapped back to reality.

She was walking outside in the bipolar weather. It was snowing in chunks of the city, some parts were windy, some were rainy… What was she doing? She knew she was walking somewhere but she didn’t feel… there. Abruptly, something strapped on to Amaya’s waist and pulled her into the air. By reflex, she started to scream and kick in the air, but when she got up and landed safely on the building she stopped. Waterfalls replaced her screams. She ran into his arms. She didn’t want to let go. 

“Peter… I-”

Peter caressed Amaya’s arm and hushed her. “It’s okay, Amaya”  
Peter’s eyes were red and puffy, just like Amaya’s. Amaya wet his shirt with all her tears. She missed him to freaking much. She loved him so much. Moments later, Amaya found herself sitting on Peter’s lap on the ledge of the roof. She was still crying.

“Peter what’s happening?”

Peter sighed. “It’s hard to explain but all that matters is that we’re here together, okay?”  
Amaya nodded. Peter slid his hand into Amaya’s and looked her in the eye. 

“I couldn’t stop thinking about you, A”, Peter said softly.

Amaya laughed a little and looked down. “Same here, Pete. And… there’s something I wanted to tell you”  
Peter nodded at her, motioning for her to go on.

“Look, you’ve been there for me, like, forever and I have never asked you if you were okay. I never asked you ‘what’s going on’ or something like that. I was a horrible person. But I want that to change. So… can I please be there for you?”

Peter sat quiet, smiling with tears in his eyes.

“No. Don’t cry, Peter. Everything's orange and it looks like orange juice is pouring out of your eyes”  
Peter snorted and held Amaya closer. Amaya put her hand on his cheek and closed her eyes. Peter kissed her forehead with every bit of love. Amaya realized that she didn’t need things to make her happy. She didn’t need her violin, her phone, her school; she needed a friend. A Peter.

Even when the world had a chance of being over, Peter made Amaya smile.


End file.
